Bakken shale oil production in the Dakotas has transformed railroad tank car movement across the west. Volumes have increased four thousand percent since 2008, according to the Association of American Railroads. Senator Ron Wyden says rules regarding safety and preparedness have not kept pace:

Wyden: "Oil and ethanol train accidents are on the rise. Oregon communities and others are being kept in the dark when they need information to protect public safety and the environment."

Wyden stresses he and Senator Merkley will continue to work to get emergency providers the tools they need. Current rules apply to oil shipments over one million gallons. Wyden and Merkley are fighting to lower that threshold and make the rules apply to flammable materials other than Bakken oil. All of the oil shipped through Lane County now comes from Canada, not the Bakken formation.